


Master Mode

by Xrangel



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Everyone is Dead, Gen, Pain, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:21:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26590579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xrangel/pseuds/Xrangel
Summary: After 200 years of recovery, the Hero of Hyrule finally awakens.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

_“Open your eyes…”_

It was so cold. He couldn’t feel anything.

_“Open your eyes.”_

That voice. That _voice_. So collected, composed, yet with the slightest tone of urgency. It struck a chord within him, and all of the sudden, feeling returned to his limbs. Where was he? It was so cold. So _cold_.

_“Open your eyes. Wake up, Link.”_

Her. Her voice.

All at once, a plethora of images flashed in his mind. The Divine Beasts. The Champions. Princess Zelda. The Guardians. Calamity Ganon. That’s right. _That’s right_. That’s right, that’s right, that’s right, that’s _right_. Why was he here? He had to get up. Just get up, get up and fight. He needed to just _get up_.

Slowly, his eyes opened and he found himself staring at a dark, patterned ceiling. He felt the cool liquid that engulfed his body slowly drain, leaving nothing but the sharp, unforgiving air that smelled like musk. He suppressed the urge to cough and blinked.

 _‘Get up.’_ He thought, clenching his fists. But that was easier said than done. His entire body felt sore, and somehow, he was almost out of breath. The blasts from those damned Guardians must have left his body in a far worse state than he thought. More than once, he had to jump in front of the princess to block against a blast aimed at her. Even with the Hylian shield, the sheer force from their lasers made it feel like he was trying to block a charging Lynel.

_‘The Princess… Princess Zelda. I need to find her. Where am I? Where is she?’_

With an audible groan of effort, he managed to pull himself up. He quickly scanned his surroundings, but couldn’t find any sign of the princess. Strange, considering he could have sworn that he heard her voice. He was surprised to find that he actually recognized the place - The Shrine of Resurrection. But why would he…

_‘Oh.’_

The realization rammed into him with the force of a million Gorons. He remembered. He _remembered._ He wasn’t good enough. He fell to the Guardians, didn’t he? Had to be saved by the _Princess_ of all people. Some knight he was. He needed to get out of here. How long had he been sleeping here, just _sleeping_ , while all of the other soldiers were getting _massacred_? While Zelda was being chased by those Guardians? While so many innocent civilians ran for their lives? While -

He shook his head. No, he couldn’t think about that. Now, he just had to get out of here. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could make it in time to help in the fight. He just prayed that the Royal Guard was holding out. 

Out of the corner of his eye, something catches his attention. It was a pedestal, with bright blue lines inscribing the surface. It made a small beeping noise, and extended itself forward. In the center, was a familiar rectangular object. Frowning, he approached it to get a closer look. As he thought, it was the Sheikah Slate. Zelda always carried it around on their travels. But what was it doing here?

He reached out to touch it, and as soon as he made contact, a voice rang out in his head once more.

_“That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber.”_

Link bit back a gasp. Her voice… It was in his head. He looked around once more to confirm that he was alone. The Princess was communicating through his mind… Was this one of the powers bestowed to her by Hylia? Despite the situation, he couldn’t help but feel a small speck of pride flare in his chest. After so much trouble and hardship, he had finally unlocked her powers. She _deserved_ that power, more than anyone.

_‘Shut up. Just hurry.’_

He wasn’t entirely sure why it was here, but he quickly grabbed the slate from the pedestal. The door in front of him opened, causing a low rumbling sound to echo through the confines of the chamber. Two chests stood out near some boxes and barrels. He quickly opened them, finding an old shirt and a pair of worn trousers. For the first time since he woke up, he became very aware of the fact that he had been wearing nothing but boxers. 

_‘That explains the cold.’_ He thought to himself, quickly throwing the ragged clothes on. Were these left here for him? They _were_ being stored in chests, and stuck in the middle of the room, so it seemed rather obvious, but if they _were_ left here for him, then why did they look like this?

Not that he was very picky about clothing, but these clothes were dusty and riddled with holes. He doubted that they would do very well as protection, or even against the natural elements. 

He shook his head. Whatever. He could think about that later. For now, his top priority would be getting to the Princess. He failed once - He would _not_ fail again. A glowing pedestal with orange lights flared up brightly in the darkness just ahead of him, as if agreeing with his thoughts. As he walked up to it, _her_ voice entered his mind again.

_“Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way.”_

Link’s frown deepened. He wasn’t sure why, but a deep sense of foreboding settled in his chest. Something was wrong. He followed her commands, but couldn’t shake off the sudden swelling of anxiety. As he held up the slate to the pedestal, the sharp orange lights flashed and changed into a calmer, darker blue, punctuated with a singular beep.

He withdrew his arm and glanced at the screen of the slate - **“Sheikah Slate confirmed.** ”, it said.

Just as he finished reading the sentence, a sudden influx of bright, crimson light filled the room. He squinted and instinctively raised his hand up to shield his eyes as the gateway in front of him started to open. 

_“Link… You are the light,”_ Her voice says, almost wistfully. _“Our light. You must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now, go.”_

What? What was she _talking_ about? His heart started beating faster and faster. Goddess above, _what_ had he missed? With manic, almost desperate energy, he sped up the stairs and towards the light. The bright, yet dim brooding light that was as colorful as a bruise and it was just so _wrong_ . There was a steep ledge, one a fair bit taller than himself. He didn’t even process it as an obstacle - his hands automatically reached out and found ledges that he could grip onto. With little effort, he boosted himself up to the top and _finally_ he’s greeted with the outside world and…

And…

It was horrible.

The sun was nowhere in sight. Instead, an endless sea of brooding, stormy clouds covered the sky. They were _glowing_ , glowing purple and pink and red and swirling and burning and everything in between and oh Goddess it was like the Calamity itself had taken the form of the sky. Red lightning crackled in the clouds, sinister and explosive. Unable to help himself, Link gasped.

Immediately, he regretted it as the air he inhaled was _not_ the clean, refreshing air that was normally present in Hyrule. Instead, it was a thick, acidic _gas_ that scalded his throat and brought out tears in his eyes. The scent in the air was so repugnant that he doubled over and nearly vomited. It was only through sheer willpower that he managed to quell his stomach and straighten back up.

Seemingly unaccording of his own will, he broke into a sprint. He just ran forward, into the evil haze of the Calamity, ignoring the warm black dirt beneath his feet, ignoring the absence of grass or anything green around him, ignoring the naked trees, until eventually, he found himself on the edge of a cliff.

Hyrule Castle.

No, that wasn’t it.

But it was. That’s where it was. How could that be? He remembered. He _remembered_. The castle, it was _there_ , standing, tall and proud and unflinching at the Calamity, so large and grand, grander than Ganon even. It was entirely symbolic of the Hyrule lineage itself. For so long, it had been a landmark as strong and as _there_ as Death Mountain.

Now though. Now, it was just a pillar. A gargantuan, burning pillar of swirling, impenetrable black and purple. It was colossal, spanning what must have been over an _acre_ of land, with endless pulsating roots of malice around its base as if it were some sort of ancient tree. He couldn’t even see the end of it - the pillar just shot up through the clouds, as if piercing the heavens and taunting Hylia herself, a stone tower.

Just looking at it made him feel weak. Tiny. Inconsequential. It filled him with feelings of despair and anguish. For a single, time-stopping moment, he considered jumping off the edge. He didn’t even have his sword now. Even if he did, what good would it do against _that_? 

It was only for a moment. He gripped the sides of his head. Forced himself to think. _Think._

_‘If the Calamity’s grown this much, then I don’t have much time. I have to find the Princess.’_

Find her. Find _her_.

Link tore his stare away from the Calamity and looked around him. It looked as if the Earth itself was dying. Instead of the lush, bright patches of green grass that usually covered the ground, there was just dirt. Black, coarse, dirt that was somehow _warm_. What trees there were left were nothing more than skeletons without a single leaf on their branches. Everything was dead.

He bit on the corner of his lip. _Hard_. He felt a small trickle of blood begin to drip down the side of his mouth. Annoyed, he wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt and began making his way down. He could see the Temple of Time nearby - It was possible that the Princess was seeking shelter there, waiting for him to recover. 

He spit onto the ground next to him - The disgusting smell of the Calamity was beginning to form into taste. Wiping his mouth one more time, he began sprinting towards the temple.

 _‘Princess Zelda will be okay. I'll_ _be okay. We can get through this.’_ He told himself.

He wasn’t sure if he believed it.


	2. Chapter 2

Link stared at the cloaked old man, unsure of how to proceed. Said man was sitting next to a small campfire, under a shade provided by an outcropping on a large rock. It seemed strange that someone would be here, so close to Hyrule Castle. The evacuation orders involved all Hylians retreating past the Great Plateau - So what was this guy doing here? Even if he wasn’t informed of the evacuation, it was bizarre to think that he wouldn’t recognize the rise of the Calamity.

Was this a trap, perhaps? Some sort of illusion cooked up by Calamity Ganon to lure passerbys? Or maybe he was just an old hermit who had lost his mind.

Cautiously, Link approached him. He wished that he had the Master’s Sword--Already, he sorely missed the weapon, as well as the familiar weight it held. The old man kept his gaze down at the campfire, apparently remaining unaware of his presence. Next to the campfire was a spread out jacket of some kind with a small pile of baked apples laying on top. Freshly made, by the smell of it - The rich, flavorful scent of the apples was mouth-watering, and even overpowered the musk of the Calamity.

When they were only a meter or two apart, Link noticed that the man seemed familiar. He was sporting a big, white bushy beard that stood out sharply against his dark clothes. He frowned. Now that he’d gotten a good look at him, he seemed to bear a striking resemblance to the King - King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule.

But that _couldn’t_ be him. The King… He was _dead_. Struck down by manifestations of the Calamity itself.

Finally, the old man glanced up. Link barely bit back a gasp. His face was one of pure exhaustion and misery, disfigured with an endless sea of wrinkles that made him look thousands of years old. Thick half-circles of black hung under his eyes, which were dull and colorless.

And yet, he was sure. Impossibly sure.

_‘This is the King.’_

“Ah… It’s rather odd to see another soul in these parts.” He whispered in a scratchy voice, hoarse from disuse. “Who were you, if I may ask?”

Link frowned. _Were?_ What did he mean by that? And besides, didn’t he recognize him? Of course, it was possible that this _wasn’t_ the king, and was instead just someone who bore an insanely striking resemblance to him, but… Somehow, he felt as if that weren’t the case.

“Not much for talking, hm?” He sighed and poked at one of the baked apples by him with a walking stick. “Well, feel free to help yourself, if you’d like. Of course, I’ve no use for them, but the scent helps at least. It’s been a while since I’ve had company, so why not stay for a moment? Perhaps something will loosen your lips and you can tell me about yourself.”

Still remaining wary, he sat down across from him and took an apple from the pile. After a moment of consideration, he took a bite from it. The taste was nothing special, but it was juicy and sweet - Enough to make his stomach growl for more. Caution thrown by the wayside, he quickly scarfed down the rest of the apple down to its core.

The _(king?)_ old man stared at him with wonder, some light appearing in his eyes. “You… You’re eating those? And with such gusto? But why? It isn't as if you could enjoy them anyway.”

Link glanced up at him, more confused than ever. They made eye contact, and after a tense second, the old man’s eyes widened with recognition.

“Y-You’re… Link?”

A sharp jolt ran through his body as he said his name. Unsure of how else to react, he slowly nodded. It was a simple and sluggish gesture, and yet it managed to spark something in the old man. With almost frightening speed, he stood up and tossed his walking stick aside.

“Tell me, Link. Do… Do you happen to know who I am?” He asked, pulling his hood back, revealing more of his face. He stared back at him, eyes wide with anticipation.

Link was almost certain. He nodded firmly.

At this, the old man ducked his head down. Bright, blue balls of flame began to encircle him. More and more appeared, until it seemed as if his figure was lit ablaze. Then, a pure bright light _exploded_ from him, forcing Link to shield his eyes. When the light faded, the tired old man was gone. In his place was King Rhoam, outfitted in his crown and royal garb.

Out of pure instinct, Link dropped down on one knee and rested an arm above the other, bowing his head at the same time. The King was _alive_. He didn’t know he lived. He didn’t know why he was here. He didn’t know why he was disguised as a hermit. He didn’t know why there were blue flames surrounding him. He didn’t know _any_ of that. But it didn’t matter.

_‘The King lives.’_ He thought. It felt as if every atom in his body was trembling. _‘I must inform Princess Zelda. I must.’_

“No, Link. No longer shall you bow for me.” He said gravely. Link’s head snapped up at him. “Rise. I’m afraid there is much I need to tell you.”

Link rose unsteadily. King Rhoam considered him for a second before speaking. “Tell me, Link. You remember me, and it seems that you remember your duties as well. Am I correct in assuming then, you also remember all that had happened during your time as my daughter’s knight, as well as the events leading up to the Calamity?”

He nodded.

“Then… what was your last memory, before awakening in the Shrine of Resurrection?” 

…

“I… fell. To the Guardians. Zelda’s power awakened and she saved my life.” Link said quietly. “But I blacked out and woke up here.”

“I see.” King Rhoam grimaced. “Link, there is something you must know. But as you’ve just awoken from your recovery, I do not think it would be wise to tell you everything at once. The last thing that I would want to happen would be to overwhelm you.”

Link wanted to protest. It felt as if he would die if he would be left with this many questions. But he couldn’t. He’d been overwhelmed once already, hasn’t he? Failed in both his duty to protect the Princess, and to defeat Calamity Ganon.

“There is a Sheikah pedestal hidden somewhere in the plains. As for the exact location, I’m not sure, but-”

Link brought out his Sheikah Slate and pulled the map out. Just a few minutes earlier, Princess Zelda had spoken to him again and somehow placed a golden marker on his map. Could the pedestal be what the golden circle was indicating? He held the slate out in order to show it to the King.

“That… Ah, my daughter’s Sheikah Slate.” King Rhoam stared at it wistfully. He reached out for it, but stopped with his fingers just inches away from the slate. He shook his head and retracted his hand. “What are you trying to show me?”

He nodded. “The marker. Ze--Princess Zelda put it on the map”

“Hm. On the _map_ , you say? Well, I’d have to hazard a guess and say that should be where you’re headed.” King Rhoam’s mouth twitched upward. “My daughter always was a resourceful one, wasn’t she?”

“Have you spoken to her?” Link asked. “I need to know where she is.”

He winced. “I… have not spoken to her since the Calamity had been freed. I know of her location, but… I’ll tell you later. I promise this. For now, just follow that marker.”

Link frowned, but nodded anyway. Months of drills and training had made it almost impossible for him to argue, or even question any of the King’s decisions. Even now, with Hyrule under attack and the Princess missing, it seemed as if he couldn’t bring himself to push back. 

_‘As expected of the child of Farore, goddess of courage.’_ He thought bitterly.

* * *

It was honestly terrifying to him, how quickly the Calamity had seemed to spread.

It seemed that every body of water, from shallow ponds to deep lakes, were emptied. Not a single drop of liquid remained in them, making them look like craters. It was only due to his memory of exploring this area did he even know that they were supposed to be filled with water in the first place. There were thick veins of hot, burning malice spread across the ground in nearly every direction. It was barely visible, but they seemed to be emitting black smoke that was thin enough to go relatively unnoticed. It was a wonder that there were none near the Shrine of Resurrection. If there were, he’d probably have stepped on one by accident and be left without boots.

They were dark swirlings of purple and black, condensed into unsettling _tube_ shapes that were almost perfectly smooth, running through the dirt and weaving past the dead grass like snakes. The worst part of it was that these veins seemed to be just that - Every second or so, they would pulsate horribly, expanding and shrinking as malice runs through them.

Dozens and dozens of these arteries, doing what? Were they all coming from the pillar at Hyrule Castle, in an effort to spread the Calamity further?

The Calamity was a parasite. A virus. A disgusting _blight_ that was sucking away at the life of Hyrule, with only one goal in mind--Growth. It repulsed him. Link turned and glared at the giant mass of malice at the castle. Hadn’t it took enough already? People’s lives by the thousands, the bounties of nature, the Guardians, the Divine Beasts, _so much_. And yet it still wasn’t done. It wanted more. Ganon, the greedy bastard was still not satisfied.

_‘You won’t stop until the world is yours, will you?’_ Link thought, suddenly angry and with his heart racing. _‘Until everything is dead. Until you’re the only one left. Then, you’ll consume upon yourself.’_

He grimaced and drew a woodcutter’s axe - It had been left buried into the gray, withering stump of a felled tree. It was rather unwieldy, but he had no other weapons on him, so he had to make do. With both hands, he gripped the handle and lifted it up above his head. With a loud, rough shout, he brought it down on one of the veins with as much force as he could muster. 

A vicious wave of sludge and malice _exploded_ from the area of impact, leaving Link with only just enough time to step back as it began to spread across the ground. He watched, simultaneously fascinated and horrified as more and more malice poured out from _both_ ends of the severed tube, creating a smoking puddle that was growing larger by the second.

He took several more steps back, taking care to not step on any of the other veins that were strewn about the ground. The pool of malice continued to grow until abruptly, it stopped. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a thin _(leg? arm? limb?)_ appendage shot out of the center of it. A large sphere of the goop began to form on top of it, and he could only stare as the sphere opened and he found a glowing, orange eye staring back at him. It was a single, bright pupil in the shape of an oval amidst a sea of darkness.

It held its gaze without signs of anger, sadness, hatred, or any other sort of emotion. It just _stared_ at him.

Below the eyeball the mass of malice writhed until sharp, white _(teeth why does it have teeth did it eat people oh hylia does the calamity eat)_ triangles popped out of its body, forming a crude mouth. Barely a second passed and just as Link managed to register the ridiculous scene he had witnessed, the mouth _vomited_ out what looked to be a floating Bokoblin skull.

That was enough to break him out of his stupor. He gripped the axe between his hands and swung at the skull, landing a clean hit to its jaw. The skull fell to the ground, purple flaming eyes extinguished. He then focused his attack at the ever-staring eyeball, cleaving it in half with the axe. He cut through it so smoothly that it was like swinging it through air. It was almost unnerving how easily he split it.

The glowing eye faded back into malice along with its mouth until the puddle was just a puddle once more. Except now, it was bubbling. Bubbling and steaming. Meanwhile, the head of Link’s axe was covered in a thick, acidic mess. It only took a few seconds for it to eat through the metal, leaving the Hero of Hyrule with nothing more than a stick.

He could see something rising out of the malice. Without even thinking about it, he ran. Ran away from it. _‘Like a coward. Like a fool. Like an idiot.’_ He pulled out the Sheikah Slate. He was facing the same direction as the marker Zelda _(princess zelda)_ had placed on it. Good. 

At least that’s _one_ thing he was doing right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exposition dump, yay.

**“Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks.”**

Link stared at the message on the slate’s screen for a second before the ground at his feet began shaking. He nearly lost his balance and tumbled onto the floor, but he managed to catch himself by grabbing onto the pedestal on which the slate had been inserted into. Before he knew it, the slightly elevated platform that he was standing on shot up into the sky so quickly that it left him with vertigo.

The rapid ascension had only lasted a few seconds at most, but that was more than enough time for Link to go from confused, to surprised, shellshocked, and then just plain nauseous. It felt like hours before the explosive rumbling calmed, and even more before his teeth stopped chattering from the vibrations. 

It was simple luck that he had been standing below the pointed roof of the platform--If he had been caught on the outer edges, then he doubted that he could have been able to stay on. More likely, he would have rolled off and fell hundreds of meters onto the ground and promptly broken his neck. If not, then one of the aforementioned falling rocks would have smashed into him, breaking his ribcage.

Link rose unsteadily and looked around him, unpleasantly surprised to see that he was now _much_ higher than he should be, stuck on a tower without any stairs. Before he could ponder his situation, a sharp blue glow caught his attention--Above the Sheikah Slate, a pointed rock had lit up, with bright hieroglyphics flowing downwards into a Sheikah symbol.

Then, just as suddenly as it began, the glowing stopped. A single radiant drop of some sort of liquid fell from the rock, directly into the slate positioned right below it. Link quickly drew closer to it and saw that the screen had lit up.

Like magic, an image formed out of the dark blue landscape that had previously filled its screen. Link recognized it almost immediately--A map, and an incredibly detailed one at that. Before, only the markers for the shrine and himself were discernible. Now, there were illustrations of forests, mountains, hills, lakes, rivers… Much of it was labeled as well.

_‘The bodies of water are colored blue. I guess the Sheikah didn’t expect for them to all be drained, huh?’_

He took the slate out of the pedestal. Just under the newly unveiled map, a small text box was displayed. It read: **“Regional map extracted.”**

 _“Link.”_ Zelda spoke in his mind just as he finished reading the sentence. Somehow, he seemed to be able to feel her in his mind even before she began speaking. Her presence felt familiar, comfortable. If he closed his eyes he could have even fooled himself into thinking all of this was just a nightmare, and that he was still escorting the princess around Hyrule. _“You have been asleep for the past two hundred years.”_

Link felt his jaw drop at her abrupt message. But before he could even begin to comprehend what she had just told him, she continued.

 _“The beast… If Ganon can be allowed to spread further, then this world will soon face its end. Now then… You must hurry, Link. Before it grows even stronger. Please.”_ Zelda muttered the last part in almost a whisper, and he felt her begin to leave his mind.

“Zeld--Wait!” He shouted, shouted louder than he ever had, with pure panic and desperation in his voice. He felt lost, confused. Nothing made sense. Two hundred years? _Two hundred years?_ He could feel his heart stop as those words ran through his mind again and again. Two hundred years. 200. Two centuries. Several generations.

It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t.

_“Link… I’m sorry.”_

He flinched as her voice rang through his mind once more, this time loud and clear. She spoke as if every word pained her, as if every word was a stab with a rusty dagger.

“Please, princess.” Link rasped. He rubbed his hand against the front of his neck, wincing at how it stung from his shout. Combined with the rancid air of the Calamity, it felt as if his throat had been scalded. Each word burned, but he pressed on. He _needed_ to talk. If not then, then now. “What happened? Tell me. _Tell me_.”

_“I… No, I couldn’t. My father, he will--”_

“Your father? The king? So you know that he’s ali-”

 _“Goodbye, for now, Link.”_ Zelda said sadly.

Link wanted to object, to say something, but it was too late. He felt her leave him and that moment, he thought that he’s never felt more lonely in his entire life. The previously warm air around him dropped in temperature and all he could seem to focus on was the monstrous pillar that used to be Hyrule Castle.

 _‘Two hundred years.’_ Link shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. He kept staring at the tower of malice as his mind grappled with that concept. Two hundred years. Had he really been so injured that it took that long for him to recover?

It was pitiful. The chosen Hero of Time, wielder of the Master Sword, and what had he done when Calamity Ganon arrived and duty called? Why, he had ran away of course. Ran away with his tail tucked behind his legs while countless numbers of men decidedly more worthy than himself sacrificed themselves to aid in his cowardice. 

He hadn’t even fled correctly. In the end, he still failed. To _Guardians_. It wasn’t even Ganon who felled him. No, it was just a group of Guardians.

And then he just slept for two hundred years. Slept while all this happened. Slept while Hyrule was destroyed.

For two hundred years.

Two hundred damned years.

 _‘She should have just let me die.’_ Link thought bitterly. _‘At least then, a worthy reincarnation of the Hero would have been born.’_

Well, she _didn’t_ let him die. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts to only partial success. Like it or not, he still had a job to do. Like it or not, he had been chosen by the sword. That meant that he wouldn’t-- _couldn’t_ fall to Ganon again. He had to save Princess Zelda. He _had_ to.

He looked around and saw that there were three gaping holes on the platform that were partially fenced off by bronze gates. Two of them seemed to be completely blocked with debris, but the last one was clear. He looked down it, expecting to see a large drop. But instead, there was a small platform, no more than a few meters away.

Furthermore, the walls of the tower weren’t smooth like he expected--There were large ridges all over the sides of the tower. It was almost like… 

_‘Almost like they were designed to be climbed?’_ Link wondered, crouching down as he prepared to climb down the tower. He turned his body around and let his feet down to find one of the ridges to hook onto, gripping onto the ledge in the meanwhile. Once satisfied that he had a proper grip on the tower, he began descending down.

Climbing had always been a wonderful hobby for him. It was tiresome, slow-paced, and by the end of it his hands were always sore. And yet, he couldn’t help but just feel _relaxed_ whenever he climbed. It was almost indescribable, the feeling of slow ascent… or descent. He was always left with plenty of time to think in a truly isolated environment, forgetting his worries and duties and for once just _being_ at peace.

Of course, that was then. Two hundred years ago.

He had almost managed to forget about the horrid stench and acidic taste of the air while up in the tower. Now, it felt like his lungs were being stabbed with every breath he took. The air got thicker and thicker as he got lower and lower, and as a consequence, the musk of malice and smoke just got stronger. His limbs, which still hadn’t recovered from the utter atrophy that came from his time in the shrine, were much quicker to tire. He had to stop and rest every single minute, it seemed.

Eventually though, he made his way to the bottom without falling down. As soon as his feet touched the bare earth, a flash of blue flames appeared almost directly in front of him. He blinked rapidly and scrubbed at his eyelids with the back of his hands. When he opened his eyes again, he was only mildly surprised to see King Rhoam standing before him.

Link began to kneel, but an outstretched hand from the king motioned for him to stop. “I’ve told you once already, haven’t I? There’s no need for you to bow to me any longer.”

He frowned but stood back up. “I spoke with Princess Zelda. She said that I’ve been asleep for two hundred years. How…?”

 _‘How are you alive?”_ Was what he wanted to ask. But before he could get the question out of his mouth, an answer came to him. His strange demeanor. The blue flames. Could it be because he was a…

“... I see. So, she’s informed you of what happened then?” King Rhoam asked.

“No. She said that you would explain.” Link said curtly. “Please do.”

He frowned and stared at him silently, appearing to be gathering his thoughts. After what must have been an eternity, he finally sighed and nodded. “To be truthful, the memories of what happened pains me, even now. Two hundred years gave me a long time to reflect. There was much I could have done, as a king, as a leader, as a… father.”

He turned to face the Calamity’s landmark. Link followed his gaze--Was it his imagination, or had it _grown_ since he’d first seen it? “As you fell in battle, I.. well, I had passed myself. As you must have realised by now, I am but a trapped spirit.”

“The Great Calamity. It was… merciless. In what must have been mere moments, it had destroyed everything around Hyrule Castle, stealing our Guardians, stealing our Divine Beasts. Villages were burnt, townspeople killed.” He closed his eyes and grimaced. “It would have doubtless ravaged all of Hyrule then and there, were it not for my daughter. Zelda.”

Link’s heart jolted as he said her name.

“I know not of the details, but after putting you to rest, she traveled to Hyrule Castle by herself. Many a Guardian stood in her way, but as you must know, her powers had awakened by then. Those machines were no match for the Goddess’ light. As she reached the gates of the castle itself, Ganon came out to meet her. And using Hylia’s powers, she trapped it. Trapped it… and herself, in the castle. There, they stood imprisoned for over a hundred years.”

“Over a hundred years...?” Link muttered. He could scarcely imagine it. For so long, the princess had been locked with the Calamity? Alone?

He nodded gravely. “Yes. For over a century, they stood locked in battle. It was enough time for Hyrule to recover, somewhat. Settlements were rebuilt, towns repopulated. Without a unifying sovereign however, the differing races mostly kept to themselves. Either way, it seemed for a while that the worst had passed.”

King Rhoam shook his head. “But Ganon… Ganon is a powerful and cunning beast. I know not how, but it gained the upper hand against my daughter. Perhaps it launched an unstoppable attack at her. Perhaps it tricked her with strange hallucinations and nightmares. Perhaps my daughter simply ran out of power. It matters not. One day, it was as if a dam broke. Oceans of malice flooded Hyrule Castle, overflowing the moats and spreading to the mainland. Then the next day, all of Hyrule field was covered in the vile filth. Dark, brooding clouds began to appear, covering the sun and darkening our days. The only moments where the clouds receded were during the late nights, where they retreated to reveal the moon, which had been transformed into an evil shade of red.”

“I don’t recall when exactly, but one day, a thin spike of malice appeared, rising out of the ruins of Hyrule Castle. It was thin, and tall enough to pierce the clouds.” He sighed tiredly. “Ever since then, it only grew bigger and bigger. Thin tendrils came to drain the earth and feed the Calamity. For another century, it only grew and grew. I had practically given up hope of you returning. Why, when I saw you, I had thought that you were simply another wandering spirit!” He laughed, though it sounded forced.

“Link… Considering that I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you. But my daughter still lives. I imagine she’s still trapped in Hyrule Castle. You must save her. And do whatever it takes to stop Ganon from spreading even further.” He finished, staring at Link expectantly.

 _‘But how?!’_ He wanted to scream. _‘I don’t have any weapons. The other champions were killed. The Guardians and Divine beasts have been corrupted. I can barely even breathe!’_

But he didn’t scream. He couldn’t. He only nodded, a tight lipped frown being the only indicator of his troubles.

King Rhoam swept his arm in a wide arc over the Great Plateau. “There are several shrines that you must visit. This tower isn’t the only Sheikah structure that you’ve awakened, you know. Inside of each shrine, you will find tools that will aid you on your quest. Go Link, and gather them. When you are finished, travel to the Temple of Time. There, I will give you one last parting gift.”

Link followed his gaze and saw one of the shrines that he was talking about. It was glowing a sharp orange, which stood out against the background of grey and purple that seemed to have taken over the land.

He didn’t have time to waste. Without a goodbye or word otherwise, he started after the shrine.


	4. Chapter 4

It really wasn’t _that_ bad.

At least, that’s what she kept telling herself. It was a necessary lie, one that helped keep her sane over the long, long years. 

Sure, the Calamity constantly taunted her and plagued her dreams and thoughts with nightmarish visions. Sure, she could literally feel her powers draining while Ganon’s power rose. Sure, everyone she ever knew and loved _(link except for link don’t forget link)_ was dead. But surely, _surely_ Ganon wouldn’t win, right? In all of the Legends, no matter how grim it got, Ganon would always lose, would always be sealed away. _Link_ would seal it away.

She told herself that over and over again. For the past two hundred years, whenever doubts started creeping into her mind, she would just tell herself: _Link will awaken._ Over and over again, she would think those three simple words.

So she didn’t give up, even while Ganon began to break free. She didn’t give up, even while Hyrule Castle was devoured by malice. She didn’t give up, even while watching the kingdom-- _Her_ kingdom become irreversibly scarred.

Her powers were only a fraction of what it once was. With every passing day, she could feel Hylia tire, weaken. At the same time, Ganon stayed frighteningly persistent, ravaging against her binds with the ferocity of a Lynel. Really, it was surprising that she lasted as long as she did.

Zelda’s powers of sealing, once so effective as a tool of imprisonment had been forcibly changed with time, into a shielding cocoon. She wouldn’t admit it, but at this point, she was nothing compared to the Calamity. Even if she sacrificed her own body, which was still in stasis somewhere in the physical world, and focused everything she had left into attacking Ganon, it wouldn’t result in anything more than a slight annoyance.

No, all she could do for now was wait. Wait, and hope that Ganon wouldn’t penetrate her own defenses.

She smiled. By now, waiting wasn’t much of an issue anyway. 

She was right. Link _did_ wake up. He was here. He’d even spoken with her. She knew without a single doubt in her mind that he would prevail. Somehow, in someway, he would win. 

_‘Link will win.’_

* * *

There weren’t any monsters.

Link stopped and looked around him, for the first time noticing that fact. It had taken a while, but he managed to enter all of the shrines that had popped up on the Great Plateau. It was… a unique experience, to say the least. Large, expansive underground chambers that were completely free of malice, and with air that was so cold and crisp that he had nearly choked on it. Each one gave the Sheikah Slate some sort of new function, whether it would be a way to create endless numbers of bombs, or suspend objects in midair, or something else just as inane.

There were also puzzles--Lots and lots of puzzles. He wondered if these shrines were possibly meant for Princess Zelda. He was using _her_ slate after all, and she was definitely the type to enjoy all of these elaborate puzzles.

And at the end of it all? Ancient, shriveled up monks who all said the same thing to him:

_“I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you… Please accept this Spirit Orb._

_May the Goddess smile upon you.”_

They would then disintegrate into green particles, vanishing into the air as if they were never there to begin with. And as for the ‘Spirit Orbs’ they gave him? They were nothing special, at least as far as he could see. They looked like simple marbles, the size of mere pebbles and completely featureless aside for a purple hue. Of course, Link wasn’t a fool--He was sure that they held _some_ purpose, being gifts from Hylia herself. It was just a little strange to him that they were so nondescript.

It wasn’t as if they were cumbersome anyhow, so he just resolved to carry them in a small pouch. They were light, making it easy to forget that he even had them in the first place.

Link gripped his broadsword tightly. It was a rusty old thing, weak and fragile from so many years of neglect. The only reason why it still held was likely because it had been stashed an an airtight chest, away from the corrosive malice. Still though, it wasn’t likely to survive more than a few exchanges.

Not that it mattered too much though, due to the apparent lack of even a single bokoblin.

It unnerved him somewhat--With the Calamity running rampant, he figured that there would be _more_ of them, not less. As he walked up the steps to the Temple of Time, he took care to hold a defensive stance, in the case that there were some hiding inside of the building.

But there weren’t any. Not even a trace.

Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword and looked around. King Rhoam had told him to--

“Link! I see that you’ve arrived.” Startled, Link jumped and looked around him for the source of the sudden outburst. “Above you, Sir Knight.”

He glanced up and surely enough, the king was standing on the roof of the temple. He was easy enough to spot, as the ceiling was nearly completely desecrated. Without sparing a single moment, Link walked to a nearby pillar and began climbing up. 

It was somewhat of a shame to see the temple in such a deteriorated state. No malice had snuck its way inside, though he suspected that Hylia herself had something to do with that. The thick veins of malice that stretched out through the lands practically swerved _away_ from the temple, giving it an exceedingly wide berth as if it would burn if they touched.

It was just a small building, worn down by time, but it was still a holy place. And so, the Calamity avoided it on pure instinct, it seemed. If Ganon still feared her touch, then perhaps there was hope after all.

With one last heave, he lifted himself to the roof of the temple. King Rhaom was waiting patiently for him, standing in front of a wooden chest with his arms by his sides. He nodded to Link as he approached him, looking grim and serious.

“Link. The time has come for you to truly begin your quest. The Calamity is a treacherous foe, but I have no doubt of your abilities.” He said. “Here, I have the last of what I can offer you. With this, you will be able to safely navigate out of the Great Plateau.”

Link kneeled down to open the chest. In it was a small paraglider--Link found himself surprised that he recognized it so quickly. He’s never used one before, and have only seen it in action once or twice by some of the Sheikah. It had a sturdy wooden frame and was made out of a surprisingly soft fabric.

As he took it out, he noticed one more thing in the chest--The paraglider had been resting on top of a familiar looking doublet, the same one that King Rhoam had used to store the baked apples, back when he initially awoken.

King Rhaom noticed his inquisitive stare and nodded at it. “It won't offer much in the form of protection, but should you ever be exposed to harsher conditions, it will do well to protect you from the elements.”

“Thanks.” Link said simply.

“It’s the least I can do. Truly.” King Rhoam said. “Now… I suggest that you make your way east, to Kakariko Village. I can not ascertain as to whether or not the village has held up to the Calamity, but the Sheikah are a resilient bunch. I’m sure that if they were forced to abandon the village, that they would have left a message of some kind for you. Do you remember the way there?”

Link nodded. “It’s just beyond the Dueling Peaks.”

“Right you are. In anycase, if you need a reminder, the location will be marked on your map. There are other towers that you have awakened through your actions--They will help you restore your map entirely, though I fear that you may have trouble finding your way to their tops.” He stopped and took a breath, and suddenly it seemed as if he had aged twenty years. 

“Now then… I’ve told you everything I can. The Sheikah will tell you more about the path that lies ahead, should you hold any unanswered questions.” Without any warning, he began to vanish. His figure turned transparent, and the blue flames circling him dissipated into ambers that were barely visible. “Link… You must save… Hyrule.”

Link could only stare in shocked awe as he vanished completely. It was as if he were never there.

* * *

Paragliding was, to say the least, an exhilarating experience.

He was never one to shy away from heights, being an avid climber himself. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel his heart drop as he looked down and saw a drop that would most certainly kill him. His anxiety only deepened as he looked up and realized truly that his fate rested with a glider that could have been older than him.

Thankfully, he managed to land with little trouble. While holding on to the paraglider strained his arms, his legs were left perfectly capable to carry his weight again as he touched the ground. He landed outside of the plateau, just in front of the Dueling Peaks.

He took exactly five steps in that direction before his left foot landed directly on a pulsating vein of malice.

With almost no resistance, his foot sunk right through it and for a second, he felt nothing but an icy coldness that chilled him to the bone. Then, reality sank in and Link began cursing profusely. He pulled his leg out as quickly as he could and sat down on the dead grass below him.

Using the butt of his sword, he shoved the now hole-ridden boot off his foot. It was covered in large specks of purple sludge, which were eating away at the fabric like it was tissue paper. Dirty smoke began to rise from it, prompting Link to toss it as far away as he could. It was useless now.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to look down at his foot. He let out a breath of relief as he saw that the damages weren’t as bad as he thought. The boot had protected it from most of the damage, though there were some ugly red splotches painting his skin, which were starting to sting in the rancid air. Other than that, there seemed to be no other wounds, thank Hylia.

He stood up and began cutting down a surplus of the dead grass, favoring his uninjured foot and taking extra care to not step on any more malice. He bundled and tied some together to make a makeshift rope, and used the rest to form a sort of cast for his foot. He tied the cast together with the rope, triple knotting it to ensure that it wouldn’t become loose.

The cast itched horribly and wouldn’t help much in the way of the malice, but at least it was _something_. Better than going barefoot, in anycase.

Figures that no more than a few minutes after being left on his own, he would do something stupid and nearly incapicitate himself. If he’d been a second or two later on pulling his foot out, then he might have had to make a pair of crutches, rather than a singular grass boot. 

He started towards the Dueling Peaks once more, grimacing at how uneven his steps felt now. Despite the Calamity’s destruction, there remained reminders of the kingdom that once resided. Old, torn banners, lining unpaved paths. Ruins of vaguely familiar outposts. Hole-ridden bridges. And most striking of all, deadened remains of Guardians.

Link passed by _those_ as quickly as he could, barely sparing a glance. Just looking at them made him feel sick. Not for the first time, he wondered why the sword had picked _him_ of all people.

 _‘Even if I had the sword, would it still recognize me as worthy?’_ He wondered. The idea brought a bitter taste to his mouth. Before being appointed as the princess’s knight, he had been senseless in life, an orphan with no true calling. He had only been a soldier because that’s what everyone expected of him. He was good with a sword, so what else would he be?

Really, he could have been just as content with being a bard, or a chef, or anything else really. It just so happened that he was skilled enough to beat the entire Royal Guard at swordplay. And of course, his father was a skilled soldier too, before he passed. Still though, he never really cared all too much about his occupation.

Then, he had saved the princess from a stray Guardian shot.

Then, he was called to attempt the pulling of the Master Sword.

Then, he was appointed as the princess’s personal knight.

Then, he was given purpose in life.

It had all happened so fast. In less than a week, his entire life had been overhauled and he had gone from simply a skilled soldier, to the Hero of Hyrule, the chosen one, Princess Zelda’s guard. He had become fit to bear the name _Link_. It was almost nauseating how quickly it was decided that he was one of the most important people in Hyrule.

And how quickly it had all gone downhill.

* * *

The second tower was, just as the other one had been, extremely tall. Still though, it was comparatively nothing in comparison to the two peaks that it stood in front of.

Even so, it was still a _long_ climb. If there weren’t platforms that provided opportunities to rest, he would have likely lost his grip and fell, not even three quarters of the way up.

Link looked down from the peak of the tower, marvelling at how far up he was. The tower was rooted next to the Squabble River, which had been run completely dry by the Malice. Was it possible that _every_ river and lake in Hyrule had been reduced to pits of mud? It seemed unfathomable. But several hours had passed since his awakening, and he had traveled far--There has yet to be a single drop of water in sight.

He was suddenly aware of the fact that he was thirsty.

Shaking the thought away from his head, he backed up from the ledge and turned to the pedestal, which stood at the middle of the tower. He placed the Sheikah Slate in it and watched as, just like before, a drop of _something_ was produced to be absorbed by the slate. He took it out of the pedestal and sure enough, the visible map had been increased tremendously. Additionally, a new function seemed to have been added to the slate--something called a Sheikah Sensor. By its description, apparently he would be able to detect shrines near him with it.

As he examined the new map, he noticed something interesting. The towers and shrines were all marked with blue symbols, and when he tapped on them, an option popped up asking him if he wanted to travel. Experimentally, he tried the option and--

_Light. Bright, blue, brilliant light._

_He was weightless and flying and glowing and all he could see was..._

L _ight._

_Then just as quickly as the light appeared, it began to dim. Darker and darker it became until finally..._

Link blinked and looked around him. He had travelled approximately five paces backwards, which made sense as he selected to travel to the Dueling Peaks Tower--which he was already on.

As he finished this thought, he looked down at his hands and saw they were shaking like leaves in the wind. He let loose a shuddering breath and it took a good five seconds before he realized what had just happened. It felt as if he had touched the tip of a shock arrow right after going swimming. Every hair on his body was raised and though it was warm, he was completely numb.

 _'I guess that does that...'_ Link thought to himself, looking around once more. It was apparent that he had transported instantly to a different location, though he just shifted by a small distance. If he had picked one of the shrines he went in earlier, then could it be that he would teleport there just as quickly? It seemed bizzarre to think about, but with all of the other technologies the Sheikah had developed... why not? He was only thankful that he didn't have to do it again. The sensation had worn off quickly--he could actually feel his fingers now--but it had been extremely unpleasant.

With only the slightest bit of hesitation, he jumped out of the tower and pulled out his paraglider. It opened properly and held his weight fine, but he could only wonder how many times he could do this before something went wrong. Something _always_ went wrong, it was just a matter of when. Still though, he couldn’t deny that the act of gliding in itself felt quite liberating, despite how anxious it made him.

He landed right at the center in between the Dueling Peaks. Looking up, he could barely see the sky--Most of the peaks were blocking his view. But from what little he _could_ see, it was apparent that the moon was full. And that it was _red._

_“The only moments where the clouds receded were during the late nights, where they retreated to reveal the moon, which had turned to an evil shade of red.”_

King Rhoam _had_ mentioned that, didn’t he? Looking at it now, he couldn’t help but feel unnerved. Was Ganon’s power truly so great that it extended to celestial bodies? As he said, the storming and crackling clouds that filled the sky during the day had more or less vanished. The only source of light now was that moon, so bright and red. It tinted everything around him.

Without warning, someone entered his mind. A familiar presence. A _friendly_ presence.

“Princess?” He whispered quietly.

 _“Link… Be on your guard.”_ She said, worrisome fear clear in her voice. _“During the dark hours of the night, Ganon’s power grows. It rises to its peak at witching hour. By the blood moon’s glow, the malice that taints this land will produce spirits of monsters once slain. Link… please be careful.”_

Just as quickly as she appeared, she vanished. He felt a pang of hurt--He wanted desperately to talk to her. He _needed_ to know so many things that it would have been impossible to list all of his questions. But though he wished for answers, he knew that--

He stopped walking and looked sharply to his left. There, along the face of one of the peaks, the veins of the Calamity were present. They clung to its walls, pulsating and twitching just as every other vein had. Now though, it was bubbling. _Boiling_. It shook and trembled, as if an earthquake was happening.

Link drew his sword just as an endless fountain of bones spewed forth from it, falling to the ground just in front of him. There must have been thousands of individual bones, horns, and claws, piling up and spreading throughout the empty river. It was a horrible cacophony, as if someone had gathered hundreds of pebbles into a closed pot and started shaking it.

There were skulls too--Bokoblin skulls, Moblin skulls, even Lizalfos skulls were mixed in there. They bounced about, and it soon became apparent that the bones were attaching themselves to them, slowly forming fully fledged skeletons.

Finally, the strips of malice ceased its production of bones. At the same time, the first skeleton finished forming. It was the skeleton of a Lizaflos, and it was holding a spear that was made entirely out of bone fragments.

It looked at Link.

Then, it raised its spear at him and charged.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just played through the demo of Age of Calamity.
> 
> Gonna ignore literally all of it for this fic lmao.

_Guardian after Guardian after Guardian after Guardian after Guardian._

_They just kept on coming. No matter how far he ran, no matter how many he slew, they just kept coming._

_Link grunted as he parried what must have been his thousandth Guardian laser. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Princess Zelda flinching. His shield-bearing arm was terribly sore, and though the sleeve of his tunic covered up his skin, he knew that if he were to pull it up, there would be an ugly mass of purple bruises decorating it. The Hylian Shield that he was carrying was beginning to show cracks, and the once-beautiful emblem which decorated it was now a mess of melded colors, distorted from heat._

_It wasn’t just the shield that showed wear and tear. The Champion’s Tunic, which Princess Zelda herself had so delicately crafted was riddled with holes, revealing bloody, marred flesh underneath. Its beautiful blue fabric was tarnished by ash and soot. His Rito-crafted bow had long since snapped after he shot one too many arrows. The Master Sword though, was still pristine, undamaged. Of course it would be._

_The Guardian that he countered had its laser reflected, blasting it right in its eye and nearly flipping it over. And yet, it barely mattered. With only a few seconds of delay, it righted itself up with its long, flexible limbs and began charging up another beam. To make matters worse, he could see several more Guardians approaching in a crescent formation to corner them. If they weren’t trying to kill him, he might have stopped and admired their natural sense of cooperation._

_He breathed heavily and lifted up the Master Sword. It hummed in anticipation, glowing brightly with the power of the Goddess. In the state the shield was in now, he doubted that it could take more than a few blasts before shattering. No, he had no choice but to hope that he could finish off one or two._

_Perhaps he would even delay them long enough for the princess to get away._

* * *

Link blinked the sudden memory away just in time to see a Stalkoblin jump at him. It launched itself with a surprising amount of speed and grace, though it bared a fiendish snarl and glaring crimson eyes. He sidestepped just in time, letting it crash into the rocky wall behind him. He stomped on its head with his uninjured foot, crushing its skull with little resistance. It began to crumble and turn into dust, leaving behind only its horn and an arm, which was still moving about.

That was another down. How long had he been fighting for now? It felt like hours. His hands were dotted with festering blisters, worn from wielding the rough and often jagged arms that the Stalkoblins often left behind He would have preferred to still be wielding his broadsword with its superior edge and comfort grip, but it had shattered long ago. 

He grabbed the arm just as a pair of Stalizaflos skittered up to him, both bearing forked spears made of bone. They both jabbed at him at the same time, and while Link managed to block the first attack with his newly acquired arm, the second caught him on his shoulder. It teared at the doublet he was wearing with ease, adding a bloody gash to the long list of injuries that he had accumulated. He let out a shout, more out of frustration than pain, and slashed at the both of them. Link used the Sheikah Slate to summon a bomb and tossed it right into the shrieking mob of undead creatures before him, detonating it as soon as he could.

The resulting explosion casted a huge, blinding blast of blue which brought with it a wave of bone fragments, monster parts, spear tips, and other shrapnel that slammed into him. The force of it nearly caused him to fall over, though he somehow managed to stay standing. Without hesitation, he summoned yet another bomb and tossed it at the group of skeletons, which had been reduced to a small group of bouncing skulls.

As he dispatched the group of Stal-monsters, he heard a loud gurgling sound from above him. He looked up just in time to see a waterfall of bones, horns, and claws rain down directly above him. He sidestepped out of the way and groaned in frustration as they--a batch of several Stalmoblins--began to form instantly.

Link lifted his Stalkoblin arm to parry an attack as one of the undead swung at him with a large wooden club. The club smashed through the arm easily, shattering it into hundreds of tiny fragments and leaving him without any weapons. Before he could even curse, another Stalmoblin stepped up to him and grabbed him by his arm. A sudden sense of weightlessness came next as it pivoted to throw him into the nearby cliff face.

He slammed into the jagged rocks of the Dueling Peaks so hard that he blacked out for half a second. As he blinked the dancing shadows out of his eyes, he noticed the group of undead advancing towards him. They were all armed with clubs and it was then that Link realized with a dawning horror that this would be it. Aside from the fact that he had nothing to fight with, the pain coursing through his body turned the simple act of breathing into sheer agony. The mounting collection of bruises and cuts on his body were becoming hot lead, weighing him down. He doubted that he could have stood even if he tried.

He gritted his teeth and took out the Sheikah Slate. At the very least, he could keep lobbing bombs at them as it seemed that the slate had an unlimited quantity. He knew that it would just be delaying the inevitable--even if he survived against this mob, the Calamity would just birth more. But what else could he do?

Link was staring down at the screen when a jolt went through him. Breaking through the piercing ringing noise that had filled his ears, a single thought emerged from his mind.

_‘Travel.’_

He didn’t have any time to hesitate. As the Stalmoblins began to surround him, he used the map and used the travel system to teleport to the Dueling Peaks Tower. As the familiar sense of buoyancy overtook him, he looked up once last time to see a giant club being brought down on his head.

* * *

Everything hurt.

There were several tears on the doublet that King Rhaom gave to him, which in turn marked his injuries. He was bleeding from about a dozen cuts, ranging from light scratches to deep gashes. A few shards of bone were stuck to his legs, which he only noticed when he tried to stand up. It felt as if a hundred knives were being stabbed into him over and over again.

His entire body ached, and with every second the pain only seemed to worsen. He wondered bitterly if this was how he would die--bleeding out from his wounds after running away from a battle. His mouth was dry and he found himself licking his lips to prevent them from getting chapped--this thirst was only sharpened by hunger, which had begun to gnaw on his stomach. 

It was a strange sensation, one he wasn’t entirely accustomed to. Throughout his life, he’d never been in any real shortage of food or water. Even if he somehow ran out of supplies while on the road, foraging was always incredibly easy. Game was plentiful throughout all of Hyrule, and if it came to it, there were always travelling merchants who usually carried food with them, although they always marked it up at three times the price.

And of course, water was even easier to find. It seemed that no matter where he looked, there would always be a body of water within line of sight, with the exception of the Gerudo Desert and the area around Death Mountain. Though not always clean enough to drink raw, he always carried flint to make fires with which could be used to boil it.

 _‘Forget medical supplies. I’d be happy with a few more baked apples.’_ Link thought to himself as he contemplated the arrow stuck to his forearm. It hurt like hell, but if he were to pull it out then he would lose more blood than he could afford at this point.

Glancing down from the tower, he could see several more Stalkoblins wandering around, though they were far enough away so that even with their bows, they wouldn’t be a problem. He wondered how many more had been birthed from the tendrils of Calamity. Hundreds? Thousands?

As he teared King Rhoam’s doublet intoto strips of cloth--in the state it was in, it wouldn’t be able to protect him from a light breeze, much less frigid climates--Link recalled Princess Zelda’s words before he had been thrown into the fray: _“During the dark hours of the night, Ganon’s power grows. It rises to its peak at witching hour. By the blood moon’s glow, the malice that taints this land will produce spirits of monsters once slain.”_

With the doublet, he was able to patch up some of his wounds, though they were shoddily done at best. It was rather difficult to apply self-aid when the slightest movements made you nauseous with pain. He glared up at the blood moon, which stared back at him impassively. If the _moon_ would bring back monsters from the dead, then what was the point in killing them? Perhaps he should try entrapping them instead, though just the thought of trying to herd bokoblins only worsened his already massive headache.

At the very least, Link was somewhat certain that they would retreat when day came. If those _things_ stuck around, then surely he would have run into one at some point before, right? Once it was morning, he could try to go to the village and get help, assuming that it was still there. It wasn’t a very compelling plan, but as he laid there barely able to move and bleeding from dozens of wounds, he realized that it was all he had.

So he clung onto that hope as best he could.

* * *

He was right.

As the moon fell past the horizon and brooding clouds took its place, the remaining Stal-monsters littering the ground began to turn into ash. Good. He noticed with interest that their _weapons_ hadn’t vanished, and were just left lying on the dirt. Also good. That made a total of _two_ good things that had happened to him since waking up.

 _‘Great.’_ He thought dryly. _‘But how do I get those weapons from up here?’_

In the condition he was in, there was no way in hell that he would be able to climb down. So that left just the paraglider., which would only be slightly better. He stood up and just barely managed to _stay_ up. His legs groaned in protest but managed to hold him. With careful and deliberate movements, he brought out his paraglider and stared at it for a while.

…

_‘I have no choice.'_

Without a second thought, he hopped off the tower. Then, he deployed the paraglider.

The sudden tension that appeared in his arms was so abrupt that he couldn’t help but let out a groan of agony. The pain that was dull and muted only a minute ago was now flashing, alert and coursing through his arms. His arms were being torn by the seams, lit ablaze, ripped into shreds, and that sensation only spread through his body, turning everything red.

His hands, which were already inflamed, simply lost any sort of deeper sensation. Link spared a half-second to glance at them and saw that they were gripping on to the paraglider so tightly that his veins popped out like thick vines. He didn’t _feel_ himself gripping though. It was just felt a warm sort of throbbing, raw, stinging, and unlike anything that he’s ever felt before. He imagined that if he were to sandpaper his palms for an hour straight before proceeding to squeeze cut lemons, then it might have felt similar.

He was about ten meters from the ground when his body gave up and he was forced to let go. Instinct told him to roll as he hit the ground in order to break his fall. His brain ignored this and instead, he fell and landed like a ragdoll. He laid there, on the uncomfortably warm ground, surrounded by dead grass and wondering if he too, were dead. It certainly felt like he was. Just a few seconds ago, it felt like he was being torn apart from limb by limb. But now he just felt tired.

He couldn’t feel his legs.

He was breathing, but he couldn’t feel that either.

...

...

...

_“Link.”_

He opened his eyes with a start.

_“Link, please get up. Hyrule needs you. Please.”_

He gave off a rasping cough and tried to stand up, but failed.

_“If you fall, then Hyrule will fall with you. You’re our last hope. So please…”_

That’s right.

She needed him. She needed him to do this _right_. He had to keep moving.

With significant effort, he opened up his Sheikah Slate and glanced at the map.

Then, he began to crawl.


End file.
